A Price to Pay
by Kailey Hamilton
Summary: Riza doesn't like Roy's mustache, and finds a costly way to let him know. Royai UST. Drabble.


_Notes: For __**demonoflight**_ _(on Tumblr.) We share this little headcanon, so it's only fair._

 _Set after the epilogue. Before I get accused of being misleading, I will clarify that UST stands for unresolved sexual tension, which apparently is not general knowledge. I'm never going to make these two idiots kiss and act like adults even as they are in their thirties, probably, so get used to it._

* * *

 **A Price to Pay**

"Should I _really_ get rid of it?"

As annoying as she found the situation, Riza still struggled not show any hint of amusement. She didn't bite her lip, or raise her eyebrows, focusing on breathing deep and exhaling slowly, the kind of breathing she'd been taught back at the Academy to rid herself from distractions.

Truly peaceful times they were living, if those were the matters that kept General Roy Mustang up at night. A question bothering him so deeply, that he'd snatched a moment alone just to ask, when everyone else was taking a break.

It was, in Riza's opinion, a question with a very clear answer. Yes, he should get rid of it. That mustache was a byproduct of Roy's resolve of looking more serious. It was some twisted logic, really, considering he still didn't _act_ in a more dignified manner himself. Riza had told him just as much. Everyone else in their unit poked fun at that change of look every now and then, going as far as to open a betting pool. It had been a whole month, and it didn't seem like Roy was taking the hint.

To make matters worse, Riza couldn't just say yes. She'd tried to. She really had. But Roy still wouldn't listen, arguing that it seemed so unfamiliar, that they all just needed to get used to it. A lost case, Roy Mustang. And Riza was the only one who could save him from himself.

"I have to admit, sir, that it has its advantages." She turned her back to him, sitting down in front of her paperwork. She couldn't say what she was thinking while looking at him in the eye. "You won't be distracting our female staff with that new look of yours, sir, so I'm glad you won't be making their jobs any harder."

Cowardly, sure. But if she saw his reaction, she would crack. It was quite impossible to focus on her work in such a state, but she was good enough at pretending and Roy didn't say another word to her for the rest of the day.

It was a high price to pay. Roy's sulking had been too apparent, too overpowering to let him finish his paperwork on time. He still went home early, leaving the team to wonder what exactly was going through his mind. It was a high price to pay. Being mean, however necessary, gave Riza a sinking feeling on her chest that got heavier every second that passed. Being sharp, in the hope that it would get him to act exactly as she intended him to, was often a chore rather than a guilty pleasure.

But she allowed herself a smile, a little knowing smile, when no one else was looking.

 _He's really rubbing off on me, isn't he._

It was a high price to pay. Her heart jumped upon seeing him next day with that smirk of his, that chaotic, youthful air that had taken him farther than it should have. There was energy in his presence and fire in his stare, and all that had been achieved with one simple change. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd arrived an hour earlier just to find her alone. Which hadn't been part of Riza's plan, but it suited her just the same.

"Good morning, General." She greeted him before he could say a word. "I see you shaved."

Roy's grin became wider.

"Can't make _your_ job too easy, Colonel Hawkeye."

Riza held back a sigh, the urge to say anything in return, and instead gave him a hard stare. It was a high price to pay, indeed, to keep Roy from looking like a complete idiot. He would remind her of that moment for all eternity. She would have to bear it with a straight back and impassive face, with the knowledge that it had been for the best.

After all, Roy's grin was triumphant. But victory was hers.


End file.
